Satisfactory Academic Progress - Undergraduate
The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended by Congress, mandates that institutions of higher education monitor the academic progress of students who receive federal financial aid. East Texas Baptist University has established the following minimum standards to be eligible for and continue to receive federal financial aid. This policy reflects the changes to federal regulations that are effective as of July 1, 2011.
Please note that state and institutional programs may have higher academic requirements, and eligibility for those financial aid programs are subject to the requirements of each program.
A student must meet BOTH the minimum GPA requirement AND the minimum hour completion to be in “good academic standing.” Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will be reviewed at the end of each payment period (fall, spring, May, and summer semesters) and will be based on the student achieving both a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and earning a minimum of 18 credit hours each academic year.
Minimum Grade Point Average
First year – minimum 1.65 cumulative GPA
Second year and beyond – minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA
Minimum Hour Completion (Pace of Progression)
ETBU defines full-time enrollment as 12 or more hours; three-quarter-time enrollment as 9-11 hours; half-time enrollment as 6-8 hours; and less-than half-time enrollment as 3-5 hours.
Students enrolled full-time must successfully earn at least 18 semester hours each academic year. Students enrolled three-quarter or half-time must successfully earn 12 hours each academic year. Students enrolled less-than half-time must successfully earn 6 hours each academic year.
*Full-time students only attending ETBU one long semester (fall or spring), will be required to successfully earn at least 9 semesters hours that semester.
The maximum timeframe for program completion is 150% of the published program length (or 180 attempted hours). ETBU scholarships are only eligible for 4 years.
Warning Period
In the first payment period (semester) after SAP has not been met, students will be sent notification to inform them that they are not meeting SAP requirements. The notification will include SAP requirements, steps necessary to meet SAP in the upcoming payment period (semester) and the consequences for failing to meet SAP at the end of the warning period.
During the warning period, students may continue to receive financial aid. At the completion of the warning period, students who do not meet SAP requirements are ineligible for financial aid. The Financial Aid Office will notify students at the end of the warning payment period (semester) if they failed to meet SAP. The notification will include information concerning the loss of financial aid for the upcoming payment period (semester) due to failure to meet the GPA and/or the minimum number of hours completion rate, as well as the appeal process.
Appeal
If the student does not meet SAP requirements after the warning period, an appeal process is available for those students who had a personal injury or illness, death of a relative, or believe they had other special circumstances that affected their ability for SAP. Click the SAP Appeal form here.
Probation Period
This is the payment period that the student may receive financial aid after the SAP appeal has been approved. Continuation of financial aid on probation is contingent on the student successfully meeting an academic plan of action provided with the approved appeal.
Appeal Process
Students who choose to follow the appeal process must submit their appeal in writing to the ETBU Financial Aid Office. The written appeal must state why he/she failed to meet SAP requirements, and what has changed so that he/she will meet SAP requirements at the next review.
The Financial Aid Office will review the appeal and notify the student of the decision. Approved appeals will include the approval, the terms of reinstatement of financial aid eligibility, and the consequences for not meeting the terms of approval. Terms of reinstatement may include expectations for the next payment period or an academic plan over an extended period of time. An approved appeal will result in financial aid being awarded for one payment period.
Denied appeals will include the reasons for the denial, and what the student must do to meet SAP in order to regain financial aid eligibility. Denied appeals will not be awarded financial aid until SAP is met.
Students must continue to meet terms and conditions, as established, until SAP is met in order to continue receiving financial aid on a probationary basis. Once SAP is met, student is no longer considered to be on probation. Failure to maintain SAP thereafter will result in receiving an additional warning for the upcoming payment period (semester).
Transfer Credits
Incoming transfer students are assumed to be making SAP upon acceptance to ETBU. All attempted credit hours will be included in the SAP calculation for the 180 maximum number of hours limit.
Remedial Coursework
ETBU does not accept remedial transfer credit hours and does not include remedial coursework in credit hours.
Incomplete Grades
Incomplete grades are counted as an “F” and will affect both the CGPA and the minimum hour completion components for that semester/year.
Repeating Classes
- Passed courses may be retaken one time to improve GPA, included in the SAP review
- Failed courses may be retaken as necessary, included in the SAP review
Withdrawing From the University
- Prior to the census date – no impact on SAP as no credit hours have been attempted – student will be responsible for all charges
- After census date – credit hours attempted are included in the SAP review – student may also be subject to the Return of Title IV Funds Policy
State Financial Aid
- Texas Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG) – meet institutional SAP requirements at the end of the first year; 2nd year and beyond, earn at least 24 semester hours and at least 75% of the semester credit hours attempted with a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA each academic year. A student may not receive TEG for more than 5 years.
- Texas B-on-Time Loan (BOT) – meet institutional SAP requirements at the end of the first year; 2nd year and beyond, complete at least 75% of the semester credit hours attempted with a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA. A student may not receive BOT funds for more than 150 hours.
ETBU Scholarships
Earn at least 18 hours each academic year with a minimum 2.00 GPA or the minimum required by that scholarship
For all questions concerning the SAP policy, please contact the ETBU Financial Aid Office
East Texas Baptist University
Financial Aid Office
One Tiger Drive
Marshall, TX 75670
(903) 923-2138
financialaid@etbu.edu